tiny happy

I highly recommend having a simple knitting project on the go, especially when things are… 'not simple' in other areas of life (namely, paid work). 

This scarf was exactly that – it was knitted during late-night Netflix sessions and in the car, and those moments while the kettle boiled and piano practice was done.

It's a scarf for Tom (hardly ever make things for him) and he is happy with it, which makes me happy! 

Here are the Ravelry notes, including a link to the pattern – of course, being a simple 3X3 rib, it hardly needs a pattern but I liked the neat slipped stitch edging achieved by following the instructions.

The scarf was made using 5 balls of Zealana Tui DK, which is 60% merino and 40% possum fur. It's really important to NZ that we control the population of our non-native brushtail possums as they are destroying our native forest ecosystem. It's also convenient that the fur, when blended with wool, makes a beautiful light and soft fibre to knit with.

I made this skirt recently, from a piece of long-hoarded black linen. My intention was to make something very simple and comfortable for wearing to the office with some of the simple tops I've sewn over the last few years. 

I didn't use a pattern, but was thinking about the bottom part of this dress while I made it – and tried to achieve a similar shape and the same side pockets. It has a flat waistband at the front that is gathered with wide elastic at the back. Both waistband lining and pockets are a cheerful goldy-yellow cotton lawn.

I really didn't enjoy sewing this at all – I should probably stick to using a pattern next time. I had to unpick and re-do certain parts (gathers, waistband, pockets) a few times, and by the end of the project, which dragged on over several Sunday afternoons, I was very pleased it was over.

However it is a lovely thing to wear and I personally can never have too many linen garments hanging in the wardrobe, winter or summer.

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I learned of this new album via National Radio the other day. I haven't listened to much Paul Simon over the years (except Mum's Graceland album when I was a kid) but I think this song, Stranger to stranger is very beautiful.

Are you on Instagram? I really love looking at people's photos (especially knitting-related, while I'm on the bus to and from work for some reason) on there, though I suspect it is the 'new blogging' – do you agree? One of my favourites is leighsideknits who makes beautiful things from her home in Canada. I recommend it if you're after some knitting inspiration..

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What to do when all is grey and cold and there's nothing of note growing in the garden?

Buy a bunch of stocks (that scent!) and paint them with watercolours, when you should really be sorting out the washing.

Find that pressed flower sun-catcher you made in the summer and hang it beside the kitchen table.

And embroider some white anemones. Just because.

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Arlo turns thirteen today, and so is officially a teenager. 

I made him a hat – he chose the yarn (some dark blue aran-weight merino) and the pattern, which is 'Roku' (Ravelry details here).

It actually turned out too big, so is a tad slouchy, but is the perfect size with the brim folded up.

Arlo at 13: he's still into reading all sorts of novels, going to the library, playing card games with his friends, the piano, football and Minecraft (he would do this all the time if I didn't monitor it), and eating everything (but especially pancakes, cereal and baked goods.)

He's getting taller and taller, his shoes are bigger than mine, and he has a whole world of his own (friends, school, etc) that I only really catch glimpses of. 

I haven't found time to get my camera out of its case for a while. The sun's just coming up when I leave the house for work, but gone again by the time I get home.

This makes it a tad tricky to update this blog, so here are some pictures from last June.

I used to love painting on ceramics, and have made quite a few pairs of coffee cups like those in the first photo, and have also given some as gifts. And the other photos relate to the last of wild yarrow, which can sometimes be found growing on hilltops in Wellington, a last cling to the warm climate of summer.

Here are some happiness-inducing things I've come across lately:

colourful handmade rugs

the gentle knitter podcast (great to watch while knitting, actually!)

shelter structures: embroidery about the journey of syrian refugees

the instagram feed of knitter + photographer loritimesfive

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We went on a trip away to a West Coast surfing beach. It was my first time to the Taranaki region – what a beautiful part of the world, with small towns clustered around the sentinel-mountain. The first photo above was taken just as the sun was setting. There was a field of cows behind us and in front, a crumbly cliff with the sea stretching out towards Australia.

The trip allowed me quite a bit of knitting time. I'm making a scarf for Tom, from (local!) possum/merino yarn in a dark blue-grey. The possum fur gives the yarn an almost silvery halo and it's very soft.

The lightweight, warm fabric created by this yarn is so lovely I don't even mind that this scarf is really rather boring to knit…

Hand-sewn in quiet moments lately: a few botanical badges. These feature poppies, tansy and chamomile flowers. I love working in miniature like this.

The zinnias were bought by Tom at Next Stop Earth in Newtown. Aren't those colours amazing? Faded pinks and reds, almost tinged with lime green. They've been cheering me up from their windowsill spot all week.

A favourite new song to listen to through the headphones (perfect for walking through wintry streets): Goldmine by Kimbra. The video is beautiful too – stop motion animation + shadows + gold leaf.

Now that my children are getting bigger they often steal my clothes (Arlo has taken to wearing my trainers and winter jacket, and Keira my knitwear – this hat, in particular.)

So I made her the same hat ('Jul' by Jenny Gordy) and let her choose the yarn which is Knitsch Yarns 'Chickadee' (there are some more details about the yarn and pattern here on Ravelry.) She's worn it a lot already – it has quite a lot of slouch on her but I'm told that's a good thing.

The usual Saturday activities (kids playing soccer, shopping at the vegetable market, going for a walk) were off the cards today due to an excess of rain and mud. So we made lemon honey instead, which is rather like bottling sunshine in jars.

This is my favourite recipe, though there are quite a few versions out there. It makes enough for a few small jars and a bit leftover to be eaten immediately on fresh bread. Lemony zing combined with buttery sweetness = the best.

I hope you're having a nice weekend so far.

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Do you remember a while ago when I wrote about Everyday Style by Lotta Jansdotter? I've been enjoying looking through it and planning future projects – and recently I made up a couple of things to wear to the office for winter. It's always a great feeling to be able to make my own everyday garments, instead of buying them, mostly because I am fussy and like my clothes to be a certain fabric, shape, etc. But of course just to bypass the whole chain store thing too. I made the 'Owyn' pants from some black cotton drill and the dress pictured above – the design is called 'Esme'. 

To make the Esme dress I used some cotton/rayon fabric with fern print. It's very roomy and soft, perfect with leggings and a cardigan. I made a couple of changes – one being the facing which I sewed by hand, and the sleeves which I lengthened a bit.

A great feature of Lotta's new book is that she provides very adaptable patterns, and ideas for changing them up. I think I will get a lot of use from it.

Here is something lovely that I found yesterday: 10 ways to help a friend when they are sad or struggling. 
Very good advice! Thank you Pip.
p.s Making a dress together would be a cheering activity too, I reckon.

I finished sewing the buttons on this heathery purple-grey cardigan just as a cold snap passed through our town.

It's the first top-down garment I've knitted. Or I should say finished knitting, as I'm terribly slow and not particularly good at it, and usually give up partway through projects and use the yarn for something else. So I'm very pleased to have followed this project through.

The pattern is 'Tea Leaves' and I used Cascade Heathers 220 wool from Holland Road to knit it up. 

I made a few changes – including adjusting for more buttons and longer sleeves (this is Wellington, after all) but I found it to be an easy and enjoyable knit.

Here are my Ravelry notes and a link to the pattern and yarn.

This project was brought to you by late-night licorice tea and the following Netflix offerings: Life in Squares, The Honourable Woman, and Occupied (reading and knitting simultaneously is beyond my capabilities I'm afraid, so screens it is.)

Wishing you a happy weekend, dear reader.